The Marauder's Heart
by buckbeakkk
Summary: I hated him, didn't I? I thought of the way Potter had made Snape hang by his ankle on that fateful day and snorted to myself. Of course I did. What was there to like, anyways? He was just as much of a prick as he'd always been...
1. Chapter 1

I was in the midst of telling off Hagrid for allowing a blast-ended skrewt to set his hut ablaze for the third time in a week, when a voice called out to me abruptly.

"Lily," it spoke softly, fluttering sweetly into my ear. I jerked awake, my mane of flames that I call hair covering my tired emerald eyes.

"Wuz goin'-?" I muttered incomprehensibly, my train of thought being drowned out by my loud yawns. I licked my dry lips, slipping my hair behind my ears so that my view was no longer obscured. Oh, bugger.

"You feel asleep in the arm chair again." There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice. I rolled my eyes and stole a quick angry look at the smiling James Potter. He didn't seem phased at all. What a lovely surprise. My throat was burning with the impulse to be a complete arse to him.

"Oh," was all I could muster. I sighed, collecting my various and mostly worn down textbooks into my arms, nearly dropping a few in the process. The scarlet, cozy room was shot of everyone but James, me, and the sizzling of the small fire that was near its end.

"Mm," He hummed, obviously not knowing what to say. His arm suddenly whipped out to catch the book I had just dropped. James set it on top of all my others, then threw me a weak smile. "O.W.L's are nearly over, you know."

"Ah, well. Believe it or not, some people actually read for pleasure." He nodded, but didn't smirk in the way he usually would, because the words came out incredibly snappy. He scratched at his cheek, absentmindedly running a hand through his black hair which stuck up in every direction. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it hesitantly. I raised an eyebrow, then remembered how furiously angry I was with him, and realized that I didn't want to hear anything he had to say.

"Goodnight, Potter, not that you even deserve one," I snarled, turning my back on him and wanting nothing more than to collapse on my warm, delectable four poster. Suddenly I felt him clutch onto my wrist, and before I could say one word, he was pulling me back to face him.

"I'm sorry, Lily," He whispered.

"What was that? Can you write it down so I have evidence that those words actually just left your mouth? Because it sure is a first." He looked at me with such an intense stare that I flinched away.

"I really am sorry, truly." I sighed at this.

I let my thoughts drift. Yes, the whole thing had been bugging me all day. And for the millionth time, it began to replay in my head.

I had been doing nothing but sitting at the edge of the lake, dipping my toes into the murky water and discussing the new and complete rubbish Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher with my best friend Marlene McKinnon, when I heard a group of people absolutely screeching with laughter.

"What..?" I wondered aloud. Marlene's soft brown eyes shot open wide as she glanced over at the scene, and she immediately tried to pick back up the conversation.

"So, Professor Vance, complete arse, isn't he?" I glared at Mar, she obviously was distracting me. She ran a hand nervously through her slicked back brunette ponytail. "Lily, don't go over there. Please, I'm trying to help you," She pleaded with me, her arms clutching my ankle in a death grip as I stood.

"I appreciate the thought," I snapped. I already knew what was going on, and I wasn't going to just sit around as my childhood friend was tortured by a complete prat. As soon as I dared to look, I saw Potter smirking with pleasure as the crowd of girls egged him on. My head was filled with obscene insults, and I tried my hardest not to shout them all out at once.

"Leave him ALONE!" I shrieked, sure that my face was almost as red as my hair, considering it was boiling with anger.

"All right, Evans?" I wanted to throttle him, completely and utterly throttle him.

"What's he done to you?" I spat, watching as Severus Snape helplessly was being choked by a constant flow of large pink bubbles that were spilling out of his mouth. I tore away my eyes, horrified that this was Potter's idea of fun.

"Well, it's more of the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean.." Now I was absolutely furious, watching as Potter's admirers hooted in laughter, and the ends of his mouth turned up in glee at his newly found attention. This banter continued on between us, including many attempts at flirting with me from Potter, which made my desire to strangle him become even more pronounced. Potter now had Snape hanging upside down, and I was nearly screaming my head off for Potter to let him down, when a voice rung out from all of the chaos. "I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!" Severus. My voice got lost in my throat as I watched him dangling in the air. I blinked back the sudden stinging in my eyes.

"Fine. I won't bother in the future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus." I replied coolly. I had never felt like my heart was going to collapse before, and I didn't like it. Potter roared, "APOLOGIZE TO EVANS!" , almost immediately. I laughed dryly at this, though I found no true humor at the situation.

"I don't want you to make him apologize! You're as bad as he is!"

I looked over at present time Potter, seeing him examine me with confusion. "Lil-" He began, but I cut him off.

"Save it." It came out almost a whisper. I saw complete disappointment flood into his hazel and gold eyes. The monster that was working it's way into me purred in satisfaction at his pain. "Please leave me alone."

I didn't sleep much that night, needless to say.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

I had never wanted to leave Hogwarts as much I did on the the last day of term. I was so happy to be getting away from it all, that I hadn't been listening to Marlene one bit as she lectured me about her boyfriend problems in our compartment on the train. All I could think about was how it had been nearly a full month since I had last talked to Severus or James.

"Lils?" She asked hesitantly. "You okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, fine," I lied, watching as she rolled her eyes.

"Obviously not, considering you probably can't repeat a single word I just said."

I shrugged, unwrapping my chocolate frog and biting off a chunk. "Aw, bugger, I already have about ten Dumbledores'."

"Exactly how many chocolate frogs have you eaten Evans?" Came a new voice. I hadn't even realized that our compartment door had slid open. Sirius Black obnoxiously poked his face into our room, his long and dark mane like hair falling into his grey eyes.

"Can I help you, Black?" I quipped, not in the mood for any of the Marauders at the moment. Well, for the small exception of Remus, perhaps. He was prefect along with me, and definitely the most responsible out of the four of them. Sirius was just as bad as Potter, and Peter Pettigrew was simply an annoying follower who treated the two biggest troublemakers like gods. Just the thought of Potter made my mouth burn with a nasty venom of dislike.

"It's not me you need to help." Suddenly, Sirius was pulling someone else into our compartment, the one person I didn't want to see.

"Padfoot.." James hissed angrily, blushing furiously as we made eye contact. Sirius winked at James not so subtly, though I don't believe it was supposed to be, and grabbed Marlene by the hand.

"You're coming with me," He barked, whipping her out of the small room before I could muster a single word. She looked through the window and shot me one apologetic glance before she had vanished down the hall, carrying Sirius's loud chuckles with her.

"Er.." James began, fiddling with his glasses, not sure what to say. I rolled my eyes, hiding my face with an issue of The Daily Prophet which I had grabbed out of no where in panic of the conversation. "Evans, I'm so sorry. I can't even tell you how sorry I am. You know- I just don't want- Next year- The whole summer, you know? And it's just, I care- well- er-"

"Haven't we already been over how incredibly sorry you are?" I interrupted, not understanding a single word of his babble, slowly lowering the newspaper to look at him. He looked incredibly wary and confused, though slightly relieved that he could stop his lecture. He sighed, sitting down across from me. "I'll make you a deal."

I saw him smirk slightly and regretted my choice of words. "Quit that, will you? I haven't even told you what it is."

"Fair enough," He said, seeming to be happy enough that we were at least speaking.

"I truly hate holding grudges, even if it is against someone as unbearable as you," I began, watching as a smile crept onto his now collected face. "I'll stop completely and utterly despising you, if you agree to sod off."

"What exactly does 'sodding off' include?"

"Stop trying to ask me out every living minute of the day. Stop your ruthless attempts to flirt with me by being a prick. Oh, and leave Severus completely out of this. Don't think that by being mean to him because o-of what he said is going to help me forgive you in the slightest."

"Can I propose something?" James asked, beaming at me.

"Though you are hardly entitled to, fire away, because I know that you will anyways." He smirked, running a hand through his already disastrous hair.

"Be my friend, Evans." I snorted at this, but he put up a hand to stop me. "I'm just asking you to at least tolerate me. I know you've hated me since about the first day of school, I reckon, but I want next year to.. I dunno, begin a new chapter."

"If I agree, will you do what I've asked?" He was absolutely grinning now.

"But of course."

"I guess you have yourself a deal, Potter, because I don't really have any other choice." My stomach was squirming slightly as I said these words. But why? I pushed it out of my mind, watching as he lit up with happiness.

"I'll be sure to write to you this summer, my dear and newest friend Lily." He smirked, waving goodbye to me before departing from the compartment, his step bouncing with a newly found swagger.

I didn't know what I was feeling, but it was some kind of mixture between nervousness and regret, and without me quite knowing why, a twinge of happiness. Though, I'm sure it had nothing to do with Potter. I hated him, didn't I? I thought of the way Potter had made Snape hang by his ankle on that fateful day and snorted to myself. Of course I did. What was there to like, anyways? He was just as much of a prick as he'd always been...

**A/N: I hope you guys are enjoying the story! I've always loved the idea of the Marauder's, and Lily and James' relationship so of course I can only hope that I am able to do it justice. Please review/comment/favorite/enjoy! I love each and every one of you! **


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